Locking assembly for releasably-locking a lid to a container

ABSTRACT

A locking assembly for releasably-locking a lid to a container, the locking assembly including: a locking nub disposed on the lid; and a lock maze disposed on the container; wherein, the lid is configured for arrangement in to a closed configuration with the container so as to releasably lock the lid to the container and to allow the lid to be coaxially rotatable relative to a neck the container between at least one of a first rotational position in which a barrier disposed on the container is configured for abutting against the locking nub of the lid so as to restrict movement of the lid away from the container, and, a second rotational position in which the locking nub of the lid is able to be maneuvered through an opening in the barrier and along a release pathway within the lock maze to release the lid from container.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a locking mechanisms for containersincluding for instance child-safe locks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Certain food products, cleaning agents, medications and the like thatare commonly found in the home may be dangerous to young children. Suchsubstances must be transported and stored in containers having“child-safe” locking mechanisms for locking the lid of the container andwhich are difficult for children to open by means of challenging theircognition, dexterity and/or strength. Currently, existing child-safelocking mechanisms tend to utilise variations on one of a few commondesigns, such as the “push and twist” style cap. Whilst oftentimeseffective, the prevalent use of this style of cap lock has become sowidely used that children, of even younger ages, have become accustomedto them thus limiting their potential long-term effectiveness.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to alleviate at least one of theabove-described problems.

The present invention may involve several broad forms. Embodiments ofthe present invention may include one or any combination of thedifferent broad forms herein described.

In one broad form, the present invention provides a locking assembly forreleasably-locking a lid to a container, the locking assembly including:a locking nub disposed on the lid; and a lock maze disposed on thecontainer; wherein, the lid is configured for arrangement in to a closedconfiguration with the container so as to releasably lock the lid to thecontainer and to allow the lid to be co-axially rotatable relative to aneck the container between at least one of a first rotational positionin which a barrier disposed on the container is configured for abuttingagainst the locking nub of the lid so as to restrict movement of the lidaway from the container, and, a second rotational position in which thelocking nub of the lid is able to be maneuvered through an opening inthe barrier and along a release pathway within the lock maze to releasethe lid from container.

Preferably, the lock maze may include at least one false pathway thereinalong which the locking nub is able to be maneuvered which does notresult in release of the lid from the container.

Preferably, the release pathway within the lock maze may include a firstlinear axis of movement and second linear axis of movement, said firstlinear axis of movement being transverse to the second linear axis ofmovement of the first linear direction.

Preferably, the release pathway within the lock maze may include a thirdlinear axis of movement that is transverse to the second linear axis ofmovement.

Preferably, the lid may be configured for arrangement in to the closedconfiguration with the container by moving a lower face of the lidtowards the neck whereby the locking nub is suitably shaped anddimensioned to resiliently snap-fit in to place around the barrier.

Preferably, the present invention may include a locking collarconfigured for rigid attachment with the lid and wherein said lockingnub is extends outwardly from the locking collar.

Preferably, the lock maze may be formed in an annular-shaped insert thatis configured for rigid attachment to the neck of the container.

Preferably, the present invention may include a sealing gasketconfigured for arrangement between the lid and the container to providean air-tight seal when the lid is arranged in the closed configurationwith the container.

Preferably, the barrier may comprise an edge of the lock maze extendingradially inwardly of the neck of the container.

In certain embodiments, the above-described broad form may be adapted sothat the locking nub is instead disposed on the container and the lockmaze is instead disposed on the lid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred but non-limitingembodiments thereof, described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A shows a side exploded view of one embodiment of the presentinvention in the form of a child-safe locking mechanism for a containerlid;

FIG. 1B shows another side exploded view of the embodiment of thepresent invention in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 shows a magnified perspective view of a locking collar andlocking nub disposed thereon in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 shows a magnified view of a lock maze in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a front magnified view of the container lip in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a top view of the container lid in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a top view of an air-tight gasket in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the locking collar in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 shows a top view of the container in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a top view of the lock maze in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a side view of the container in assembled form inaccordance with the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 11 shows another side exploded view of the embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 12 shows another exploded view of an embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be describedherein with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12. The embodiments comprise acontainer (10) having a child-safe type locking mechanism for releasablylocking a lid (20) of the container on to the container (10). It wouldbe appreciated and understood that whilst this embodiment is describedfor use with a jar, this is merely for purposes of illustratingfunctionality and alternate embodiments of the present invention may ofcourse be used with other types of storage containers.

Referring firstly to FIGS. 1A, 1B, 10, 11, and 12 one embodiment (1) isshown comprising the container (10), a lid (20), a locking collar (30),an air tight gasket (40), and a lock maze (50). Each of these featureswill be described in greater detail in the following description.

The lid (20) includes a solid piece having a recessed cavity in anunderside region configured for securement with the upper section of thelocking collar (30). When secured, the lid (20) and the locking collar(30) are not ordinarily separable in use. By way of example, the lid(20) may be constructed from wood, plastic, metal or nylon depending onthe requirements of the design. The lid (20) is shaped and dimensionedto provide both an aesthetic finish for container (10) as well asproviding a relatively large gripping surface that is easy to hold, turnand manipulate.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the locking collar (30) is constructed from diestamped metal and is affixed permanently into the recess area on aninner region of the lid (20). In alternate embodiments, the lockingcollar may instead be formed from plastic, nylon or any other materialsuitable for use within the functional context of this embodiment. Thelocking collar (30) includes a tapered rectangular nub (30A) disposed ona lower edge of the locking collar (30). The tapered shape configurationof the nub (30A) is configured to allow the combined lid/locking collarassembly (20,30) to be pressed down into the lock maze (50) from anyposition engaging the locking function. The wide top edge of the lockingcollar nub (30A), when inserted through the lock maze (50), creates asecure “locked” connection with the lower edge (50H) of the lock maze(50). This prevents the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30)from being directly lifted and removed. The combined lid/locking collarassembly (20,30) must be rotated until the nub is aligned with theopening of the “maze channel” at the bottom of the lock maze (50). Oncealigned, the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) must be pulledupward, while simultaneously being rotated, guiding the locking collarnub up (30A) through the recessed path so that it can be removed.

In certain embodiments the air tight gasket (40) such as shown in FIG. 6may be utilised which comprises a rubber O-ring style gasket (40) thatis positioned around the locking collar (30) and affixed to theunderside of the lid (20). The gasket (40) creates an air-tight sealbetween the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) and lock maze(50) which assists in maintaining freshness of the contents of thecontainer (10).

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 9, the lock maze (50) comprises a moldedplastic insert. The lock maze (50) is inserted into the opening of thecontainer (10). Tabs on an upper region of the lock maze (50) areconfigured to snap fit around the upper lip (10A) of a neck of thecontainer (10) so as to create a secure, non-removable connection. Theopenings between these tabs are aligned with the lock posts (10B) moldedinto the lip (10A) of the container (10) preventing the lock maze (50)from rotating or moving relative to the container lip (10A) once theyare secured together in place. It is possible in certain embodimentsthat the lock maze may be integrally formed in the structure of thecontainer as a one-piece item rather than as an insert that is fitted tothe container. Whereas locking collar (30) has a solid exterior wall;the lock maze (50) is not readily visible from the outside of thecontainer (10) adding to the cognitive complexity with which a user mustrelease the lid (20) from the container (10).

The lock maze (50) includes a recessed maze channel (50A) on an insidesurface having an opening to the recessed maze channel (50A) at both atop (50B) and bottom (50C) region of the lock maze (50). This channel(50A) is designed in the form of a maze which requires both cognitiveskill and fine motor dexterity to be successfully accomplished. To openthe lock, the locking nub disposed on the combined lid/locking collarassembly must first be rotated and aligned with the opening at thebottom of the lock maze (50). Once aligned, the combined lid/lockingcollar assembly (20,30) must be simultaneously lifted and turned toguide the locking nub (30A) of the locking collar (30) through therecessed maze channel (50A) to the top opening (50B) at the top regionof the lock maze (50). The maze channel (50A) includes a false path thatwill prevent the lock from being opened, increasing its difficulty. Itshould be appreciated that the configuration of the maze channel (50A)described herein is for illustrative purposes and it is possible that inother embodiments a different maze channel layout and configuration ofcomparable or greater complexity may be utilised for greater variety.

Referring particularly to FIG. 4, the main container (10) form itselfmay take a variety of shapes and sizes and be molded in a variety ofmaterials such as plastic, glass, nylon and acrylic. The container (10)includes circular-shaped neck and includes a plurality of lock posts(10B) arranged in spaced-apart fashion around the upper lip (10A). Thelip (10A) of container the neck is sized to fit securely into therounded tabs of the lock maze (50). The lock posts (10B) on the lip arespaced and sized to fit securely between the lock maze tabs (50G) andpreventing the lock maze (50) from rotating or moving relative to thecontainer lip (10A) once they are secured together in place.

In seeking to engage the combined lid/locking collar (20,30) assemblyinto releasable-locking engagement with the container (10), a user willgrasp the lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) (which are assembled asone piece during manufacturing) and insert the locking collar (30) endof the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) in to the opening ofthe container (10) whereby the top of the lock maze (50) is secured tothe top of the container (10). The user will then firmly press thecombined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) downwardly into the openingof the container (10) until the two parts make a secure engagement andthe lock nub (30A) disposed on the locking collar (30) snap-fits intoplace below the lock maze bottom edge.

In seeking to release the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30)from securement with the container (10), the user will hold thecontainer (10) firmly in one hand to prevent it from turning. The userwill then grasp the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) withthe other hand and rotate the combined lid/locking collar assembly(20,30) with the other hand relative to the container (10) until thelock nub (30A) of the locking collar (30) is aligned with the bottomchannel opening (10B) of the lock maze (50). The user will then gentlylift the combined lid/locking collar assembly (20,30) and maneuver it ina direction upwardly away from the container (10) opening such that thelock nub (30A) is moved along the maze channel vertical path(represented in FIG. 10 by the dotted line 50D). The user must at thesame time apply a horizontal rotating force to the combined lid/lockingcollar assembly (20,30) so that when the lock nub (30A) is moved alongthe maze channel vertical path (represented by dotted line 50D) in tothe juncture in the lock maze (represented by the intersection of dottedlines 50D and 50E), the lock nub (30A) is then able to be rotatablymaneuvered along the maze channel horizontal path (represented by dottedline 50E). Thereafter, the lock nub (30A) is rotated along the mazechannel horizontal path (represented by dotted line 50E) until it isaligned with the maze channel vertical path (represented by the dottedline 50F) whereupon the user can then pull the combined lid/lockingcollar assembly (20,30) upwardly out of the lock maze (50) via the upperopening (50B) of the maze channel (50A) to fully release the combinedlid/locking collar assembly (20,30) from the container (10).

In certain embodiments, markings (not shown) may be disposed on thecontainer (10) and/or on the lid (20) which may serve as a visual aidfor aligning the locking nub (30A) with the bottom channel opening (10B)of the lock maze (50). The visual expression of these markings, if used,may take a variety of forms dependent on the desired level ofcomplexity, from simple alignment arrows to abstract graphic symbols.

In alternate embodiments of the present invention it is possible that areverse architecture to that described above may be implemented wherebythe lock maze may be mounted on the lid whilst the the locking collarmay be mounted on the container. Engagement and disengagement of the lidfrom the container in such embodiments would follow similar principlesas described in the aforementioned embodiment.

It should be appreciated that in the preceding embodiments whilstcertain parts may be described as comprising separate parts, anycombination of separate parts may be integrally formed together incertain cases.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of lockingnubs are disposed on the lid and a plurality of corresponding lock mazesare disposed on the container. Each of the locking nubs are configuredfor interacting with a corresponding lock mazes disposed on thecontainer in a similar manner as described above as the lid is removedfrom the container.

It would be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention asdescribed herein require a degree of cognitive and dexterity ability toopen the container which is designed to exceed the ability of youngchildren. Further, such a solution provides added variability to its usethat extends in contrast to existing methodologies for effectingchild-safe locking mechanisms. Yet further, the streamlined design andrelatively simplified function allows it to be applied to a wide varietyof container, jars and bottles in numerous materials and sizes. Yetfurther, embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in thatthe combined lid/locking collar assembly may be pressed down in tosecured engagement with the container when the combined lid/lockingcollar assembly is arranged in any position of coaxial rotation relativeto the container thus making it easier to operate and saving time forthe user.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention describedherein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than thosespecifically described without departing from the scope of theinvention. All such variations and modification which become apparent topersons skilled in the art, should be considered to fall within thespirit and scope of the invention as broadly hereinbefore described. Itis to be understood that the invention includes all such variations andmodifications. The invention also includes all of the steps andfeatures, referred or indicated in the specification, individually orcollectively, and any and all combinations of any two or more of saidsteps or features.

The reference to any prior art in this specification is not, and shouldnot be taken as, an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that thatprior art forms part of the common general knowledge.

1. A locking assembly for releasably-locking a lid to a container, thelocking assembly including: a locking nub disposed on the lid; and alock maze disposed on the container; wherein, the lid is configured forarrangement in to a closed configuration with the container so as toreleasably lock the lid to the container and to allow the lid to beco-axially rotatable relative to a neck the container between at leastone of a first rotational position in which a barrier disposed on thecontainer is configured for abutting against the locking nub of the lidso as to restrict movement of the lid away from the container, and, asecond rotational position in which the locking nub of the lid is ableto be maneuvered through an opening in the barrier and along a releasepathway within the lock maze to release the lid from container.
 2. Alocking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lock maze includes atleast one false pathway therein along which the locking nub is able tobe maneuvered which does not result in release of the lid from thecontainer.
 3. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein therelease pathway within the lock maze includes a first linear axis ofmovement and second linear axis of movement, said first linear axis ofmovement being transverse to the second linear axis of movement of thefirst linear direction.
 4. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 3wherein the release pathway within the lock maze includes a third linearaxis of movement that is transverse to the second linear axis ofmovement.
 5. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the lid isconfigured for arrangement in to the closed configuration with thecontainer by moving a lower face of the lid towards the neck whereby thelocking nub is suitably shaped and dimensioned to resiliently snap-fitin to place around the barrier.
 6. A locking assembly as claimed inclaim 1 including a locking collar configured for rigid attachment withthe lid and wherein said locking nub is extends outwardly from thelocking collar.
 7. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein thelock maze is formed in an annular-shaped insert that is configured forrigid attachment to the neck of the container.
 8. A locking assembly asclaimed in claim 1 including a sealing gasket configured for arrangementbetween the lid and the container to provide an air-tight seal when thelid is arranged in the closed configuration with the container.
 9. Alocking assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the barrier comprises anedge of the lock maze extending radially inwardly of the neck of thecontainer.
 10. A locking assembly as claimed in claim 1 adapted so thatthe locking nub is instead disposed on the container and the lock mazeis instead disposed on the lid.
 11. A lock assembly as claimed in claim1 including a plurality of lock nubs disposed on the lid and a pluralityof lock mazes disposed on the container.